Apr212010
Nuclear Attack: Hunker down and wait…
This article just about made my day, Nuclear blast victims would have to wait.
The White House has warned state and local governments not to expect a “significant federal response” at the scene of a terrorist nuclear attack for 24 to 72 hours after the blast, according to a planning guide.
Let me get this straight. My city is hit by a nuclear blast. My family and I happen to survive, but what with all the radioactive scenery outside, we have to hunker down. We have food, water, a portable toilet, extra TP, some board games, and now I learn that we’ll be on our own until the federal government feels up to coming to our rescue. Realistically, that could be…never.
image by BlatantNews.com
Just in case you think this is so unlikely as to never happen, here’s what one official had to say:
The prospect is anything but far-fetched, says Rick Nelson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Do I think in my lifetime I’ll see the detonation of a nuclear device? I do.”
One challenge he says, will be to persuade survivors to stay indoors, shielded from dangerous radiation until they’re given the all-clear or told to evacuate. “In all likelihood, families will be separated,” he says. “It’s going to be scary to sit tight, though it’s the right thing to do.”
A nuclear event like this would challenge even the hardiest Survival Mom, and that would include me. I’d be okay staying indoors. We could probably get a lot of housework done, but what if an attack occurred while my kids were at their grandma’s or at Vacation Bible School? What if we had no idea where my husband was or if he was even alive?
Considering the matter-of-fact tone of this article, I’d say that adding some type of communication plan to our To Do lists would be timely. In what ways could you get and receive information if all phone systems were down?
You know, at least this government official is honest and isn’t telling us to just crawl under desks and tables to weather out a nuclear blast. One piece of good news is that most of us on the prepper journey are already well-prepared for various emergencies and scenarios. Check out the information here for advice that goes beyond, “stock up on food and water.”
© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
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Oh my goodness Soren you are hilarious! I guess we had better stock up
StrivingSimply
We always knew the government doesn't come for at least three days. Look at Katrina. This is why I keep food, water, and necessities both in my car and at work. That being said, if it hits the DC area, I'm probably dust anyway.
TheSurvivalMom
Well, at least we're getting the heads up that we're on our own. I remember when President Bush caught all kinds of criticism when the federal government wasn't all over New Orleans the moment the hurricane passed. Looking back, Katrina is actually the more realistic scenario of how an enormous disaster, nuclear or otherwise, will play out. It's up to individuals and families to get educated and prepare. If extra help arrives, great. If not, we'll be okay.
rightwingmom
IMHO ~ Pre-communication is our only hope. I'm not counting on traditional forms of communication to be working in a major SHTF scenario. Look a 9/11. Cell phones were useless. After Hurricane Ike, the only communication we had was texting.
Make it clear to your family members your three stages of evacuation / meet up sites:
Site A shelter at home
Site B shelter in you neighborhood
Site C shelter out of town.
Our sites are A home, B our local church, C my aunt and uncle's property approx. 2 hours away. (They have property in the middle of no where and are more than willing to take us in.) If I'm separated from my husband (or heaven-help my children) they know these are the 3 locations where we can find each other.
dee
Since the rescuers would be putting their lives on the lines dealing with fallout, radiation, I also appreciate the honesty. We as a people need to get our acts together and our plans in gear with our family members and loved ones.
LizLong
Unfortunately, my eldest is in the 10% prone to panic and make everything worse. We live in the exurbs and aren't far from his school so, realistically, I will go there and bring him home. That's why I have an NBC suit and Potassium Iodide in the basement. DH works from home most of the time and ds2 will be with us most of the time until he gets to elementary school. I understand their point, but there is no way I can see that school protecting the kids from radiation since it has no basement and is full of windows. I wouldn't try to go hunt down my husband if did work at the office and was there or en route home, but my panicky gradeschooler? Yes, I would go get him. I understand their message, but you have to know your individual circumstances as well. MIL is on her own because while I would help her, traffic and other considerations would make it dangerous to us and others to try. Different matter for my grade schooler, though. And I'm afraid he would endanger others at his school by panicking.
The area we live would have all the windows blown out by a big enough blast, but the areas that would be incinerated are definitely closer than we are. If DH is at work, realistically, he might never be coming home. PROBABLY would, but…. Well, his office is a lot closer in.
LizLong
Unfortunately, my eldest is in the 10% prone to panic and make everything worse. We live in the exurbs and aren't far from his school so, realistically, I will go there and bring him home. That's why I have an NBC suit and Potassium Iodide in the basement. DH works from home most of the time and ds2 will be with us most of the time until he gets to elementary school. I understand their point, but there is no way I can see that school protecting the kids from radiation since it has no basement and is full of windows. I wouldn't try to go hunt down my husband if did work at the office and was there or en route home, but my panicky gradeschooler? Yes, I would go get him. I understand their message, but you have to know your individual circumstances as well. MIL is on her own because while I would help her, traffic and other considerations would make it dangerous to us and others to try. Different matter for my grade schooler, though. And I'm afraid he would endanger others at his school by panicking.
The area we live would have all the windows blown out by a big enough blast, but the areas that would be incinerated are definitely closer than we are. If DH is at work, realistically, he might never be coming home. PROBABLY would, but…. Well, his office is a lot closer in.
Dave Turner
WOW – I am really concerned. I hope everyone gets some quality books on NBC protection since it has not been mentioned. Liz, I hope you do not think an NBC suit will save you from gamma rays. If we had a stike it will be 2 weeks before it will be safe to travel especially if they use a ground burst. An air burst will be faster travel but more initial destruction. If a basement survives there are many modifications that need to be completed prior to an event. Nobody could go outsire (including pets) for a long time . What will you do for air — little things like that need to be planned and studied well ahead of time. Please read , study and modify your shelter , including getting survey meters and dosimeters that actually work — not old civil defense units.
I sure hope and pray this is not needed.
LizLong
No, I don't think an NBC suit will protect me from everything, nor will our supply of Potassium Iodide. But how many people do you know that even have that much already? We are continuing to work on expanding and improving what we have and learning more.
It's not like I'm talking about grocery shopping here. I WILL risk my life to save my child. His school is near our home and if it has ANY underground area, it certainly isn't enough to hold hundreds of students for two weeks, nor do they have any of the other supplies necessary for that long. I *might* be endangered for a short time (depending on the type and size of bomb, wind direction, etc) – he CERTAINLY will be endangered until we get him home if there is a nuclear attack. Yes, there is still danger once we're home, but a lot less than at his school. At least we have food, water, and other basic supplies inside a fully underground basement. (Some basements have partial exposure or walk-outs.)
smoakem
When it comes to prepping for nuclear war the best book reference out there, in my opinion, is the " Nuclear War survival skills book" You can copy it free on-line. To buy the book the best place is at "emergency essentials" for $12.95 each. The only problem with the internet version is the diagrams are not to scale, and will not work.
The book covers everything about preparing for a nuclear disaster. You can order tapes that show you how to do some of the things covered in the book, I bought them and thought they were well worth it.
Barbara
Be prepared to use the threat of lethal force to retrieve your children from school. Schools, these days, consider these children THEIRS! You get them when the authorities agree you may have them. They will tell YOU when to come get them. We have had incidents of robbers in the neighborhood, and of possible tornado where the school went on "lockdown". Children were NOT available to the parent until the all clear, no matter what. Police at the door. They have sent home flyers stating this policy. You will not get your children until THEY decide you will.
I have instructed my children to stay and follow directions as long as they need to. If they see me, or hear me outside calling, they should cut and run, obeying me before they obey school authorities. I am the primary authority in their life, not the school, not the police, not the government.